Maple Leafs 3, Blackhawks 1

Hartsburg Sends Out Sos After Loss

December 10, 1996|By Rich Strom, Tribune Staff Writer.

There was nothing new on the ice Monday night for the Blackhawks, but there sure was off it.

First there was a visibly angry Craig Hartsburg, the usually mild-mannered coach, trying to control his emotions after a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who snapped a nine-game road losing streak.

Then there was a closed door to the Hawks' locker room greeting the media, a players meeting that lasted for 20 minutes after the Hawks (12-15-3) fell to 5-9 at the United Center and three games below .500 for the first time since October 1993.

The next move?

"Maybe somebody needs to give us some help," said Hartsburg, whose club fell to 2-9-1 in the last 12 games. "Players, management, coaches. Everybody has to step up and do what they can to help get this thing back on the right track, because it's not there right now.

"It's best not to say a whole lot right now, because the more I say, the worse it will be."

The Hawks' downfall, as it often has been this season, was a lackluster first period. Despite playing horribly and getting off only seven shots on Toronto goaltender Felix Potvin (29 saves), they almost escaped with a scoreless tie. But Kirk Muller's power-play goal with 7.8 seconds left in the period put the Leafs in front, and Muller's power-play tally at 5:37 of the second added another nail to the Hawks' demise.

Alexei Zhamnov brought the Hawks within a goal at 16:36 of the second period, but Todd Warriner's empty-net goal with :11.3 left sealed the verdict.

"We're not going anywhere playing like that," said team captain Chris Chelios. "We're not excited; there's no passion (in the first period). We stunk the joint out."